Two elderly people feared missing in the bushfire-affected Adelaide Hills region have been located.

FIREFIGHTERS are in a race against time to contain Adelaide's bushfire crisis, feared to have destroyed dozens of homes, ahead of dangerous weather that could reignite the weekend's firestorm.

The catastrophic fire conditions experienced on Saturday — described by fire authorities as the worst conditions since the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires — eased on Sunday, but the blaze continues to burn in all directions.

Overnight, ground crews were working on an active fire front to the north of Frank Barker Rd at Humbug Scrub.

The fire was also burning in a southerly direction between Gorge Rd and Torrens Valley Rd in the Cudlee Creek and Kenton Valley areas.

The entire fire perimeter of the fire has pockets of free burning fuel.

LATEST CFS FIRE WARNINGS

Temperatures for Monday and Tuesday will be hotter than earlier forecast.

Premier Jay Weatherill said it was vital for authorities to contain the fire's active edges in the cooler weather. Mr Weatherill said 12 homes were confirmed destroyed and there were fears for 20 others.

"This is obviously enormously distressing to the people concerned," he said. "We'll take every effort to try to reach those people before they become aware and witness the destruction of their homes."

ADVERTISER PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY

Major developments in the fire, which started at Sampson Flat just after noon on Friday, included:

THE CFS downgraded its emergency warning to a watch-and-act message, but said the blaze continued to burn in all directions.

TWELVE homes were destroyed, with fears for 20 others. The CFS said it expected the loss ratio to be less than 1 per cent.

ABOUT 13,000 hectares of scrub had been destroyed.

AN elderly Kersbrook man and a Cudlee Creek woman unaccounted for on Sunday were later found safe and well, seeking refuge from the fire.

TWENTY-THREE people, mostly firefighters, were injured. One person was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition after a falling tree struck a ute at Cudlee Creek.

MORE than 1000 properties in the area are without power.

FOUR Victorian strike teams who spent the weekend battling fires in the northwestern Victorian town of Moyston and at Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula travelled to SA to assist.

A 45-YEAR-OLD Fairview Park man was arrested at North East Road, Tea Tree Gully, and charged with failing to comply with a direction of an officer. He was bailed to appear in the Holden Hill Magistrates Court next month.

DAMAGE assessment teams moved into the fire zone and the State Government has offered emergency relief grants of up to $700 for families affected by the fire as well as help with short-term accommodation.

Greens leader Christine Milne used the fire to argue that the Federal Government should do more to prepare for climate change.

"Every year we are going to face these extreme weather events, which are going to cost lives and infrastructure, and enough is enough," she said.

"The Abbott Government has to stop climate denial and help to get the country prepared to adapt to the more extreme conditions."

CFS chief officer Greg Nettleton said fears remained that the fire may flare up in coming days, and hot conditions forecast for Wednesday posed the most concern.

"The issue that would concern me is if we get ongoing forecasts that say there's continuing rise in the wind speeds. We're not seeing that at the moment," he said.

"Any fire on a hot day with a bit of wind will cause it to spread quite quickly."

Hundreds of anxious residents waiting for permission to return to their homes were sheltering at the Golden Grove evacuation centre, staying with friends and family, and congregating at control points on roads closed because of the declaration of a state of emergency. The centre was also flooded with donations of food, water and bedding.

The number of stock, native animals and pets lost in the fire remains unknown. Many were lost on Saturday when the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennel and Cattery was destroyed by the fire. There were numerous reports of koalas fleeing the fire, trying to find water and shelter.

Throughout the crisis, the community has embraced social media, sharing vital information, donating goods and even opening up their homes to displaced families and animals.

Among the dozens of Facebook groups and pages is Ali Mitchell's Sampson Flat Fire Updates South Australia Facebook page. She started it on Saturday at 6.30am, thinking she would be able to give a "couple of hundred" people up-to-date information on the fire. Yesterday, the page had reached 36,000 likes.

Police Commissioner Gary Burns said there was no further news on the investigation into what started the fire.

The tenant of a Sampson Flat property where the fire started has denied that it started at an incinerator on the property. He told the Sunday Mail that it started behind a shed, and that it spread because of poorly maintained vegetation on the Shillabeer Rd property.

"We're not going to go to the court unless we've got all the evidence available," Mr Burns said.

"We're still looking at the incinerator side of things as a cause of the fire, but that's one option to it and the investigation continues." He confirmed that authorities were not investigating any other potential causes.

Duncan Basheer Hannon managing partner Peter Humphries, who led a class action including the families of nine people who died in the 2005 Port Lincoln fires, has told The Advertiser a similar legal bid may be possible in the wake of this weekend's destruction.

Mr Humphries said anyone found to have caused a fire through negligence could be held liable and their insurance company hit for up to $20 million in damages payable to the victims.

Mr Burns said most residents were cooperating with police instructions, as more than 20 roads remained closed.

"In general, they have been very well accepting of the advice the police are giving them because they were well aware we're not doing it just for the sake of it, we're doing it for their protection. They waited a while to see whether the road would open up and left.''

Mr Weatherill praised the "exemplary" preparation of firefighters.

"All of the different agencies, whether it be the Department of Environment, the SA Water, forestry, the professional firefighters and the CFS and also the MFS, together with our vast volunteer network have come together and discharged their functions really in an extraordinarily effective and efficient fashion,'' he said.

READER PHOTOS OF THE FIRE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

RELIEF CENTRES

Golden Grove Recreation Centre, The Golden Way, Golden Grove

Willaston Football Club, Kelly Rd, Willaston

RECOVERY HOTLINE

The SA Bushfire Recovery hotline — 1800 302 787 — will be open from 8.30am on Sunday. The hotline is for people who have lost their home, suffered trauma or other loss — or for others wanting to provide financial donations to support affected communities.

If you are affected by the fires, call this number for information about emergency grants. Grants of up to $700 are available for essential items such as food and clothing. Grants provide for up to $280 per adult, and up to $140 per child, to a maximum of $700 per family.

Iga Jasica woke up in the middle of brain surgery. Pic: Facebook.Source: Facebook

It's possible the surgery may have triggered something that woke her up, experts said — but doctors are also looking into whether the anaesthesia was administered correctly.

Jasica later said: "I can't remember much, but the doctor said he talked to me about cats, which I love. I missed Christmas because of this operation, but it is the best present I could have had as I am now feeling great."

This article first appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has arrived in Baghdad for talks on boosting Iraq's fight against the Islamic State jihadist group.

The visit is another significant investment by Australia into the war-ravaged region, after it became part of a US-led coalition of almost 60 countries carrying out air strikes against IS in Iraq.

"Abbott arrived in Baghdad on an official visit to discuss bilateral co-operation between the two countries and ... strengthening support and supplying the security forces to confront (IS) terrorist gangs," state-run Baghdad television reported, citing "government sources".

The visit, Mr Abbott's first to the country, comes after almost 200 Australian special force troops were deployed to Iraq late last year to train and advise local soldiers fighting IS. Australia's Super Hornet jets have also been involved in combat missions in Iraq since October last year.

It is the first visit to Baghdad by an Australian prime minister since Julia Gillard in 2009.

IS launched an offensive that swept through Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland in June.

The group's rapid expansion and brutality in areas it controls in Iraq and neighbouring Syria eventually sparked an international campaign against it.

The Government's commitment to fighting IS overseas comes as it also cracks down on its supporters on home soil.

The Abbott Government wants to ban travel to certain countries under new counterterrorism laws, with three Australian women known to have travelled to Syria to marry Islamic State fighters.

Dozens of Australians are fighting for Islamic militant groups overseas, raising fears that they could return home and carry out attacks.

The Iraq campaign was top of the bill when Mr Abbott met US President Barack Obama before the APEC submit in November.

Abbott did not rule out sending more Australian troops if asked by the US.

"They're young, they're dumb, they've got lots of money, and there is no shame in going to a brothel."Source: News Limited

"WHAT kind of girl would you like? Narrow it down for me. … Yeah, I've got a nice blonde. Young, size 8, double D. You won't be disappointed."

It is 2am on a Sunday in the back room of Langtrees, the best-known brothel on Australia's west coast. Lana, the mumsy phone operator, places down the handset and puts on her specs to peer at her computer. She points to a profile photograph showing only an enormous pair of breasts. "Bridgette Blue. She's 23." She pauses and raises her eyebrows. "Natural."

Bridgette is soon at the door. She wears gold sparkly stilettos, red lipstick, and thick foundation disguising poor skin. Her brown eyebrows are painted on, and her long, blond, Barbie-doll hair is curled and slung to one side. For 495 Australian dollars (about $400) per hour, Bridgette will come to your home or hotel for sex.

Outside, in the brothel lounge, about 17 other women — mostly Australian but also Asian, African, and European — bide their time waiting to be summoned for house calls or clients who walk in off the street. They gossip on glittery sofas and munch on chocolate bars from the snack machine under queasy, harsh lighting. The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night blares on the sound system.

Perth — one of the most remote cities on Earth — has gotten fat off the back of Australia's decade-long mining boom. In years past, this city of 1.9 million people was a backwater, albeit one with long, sandy beaches and endless days of sunshine. Now, as residents have become richer, gleaming skyscrapers have sprung up in the business district alongside hip cocktail bars and swanky restaurants.

Contractors often fly into Western Australia from homes elsewhere for fast cash. They work for weeks at a time offshore or in isolated mines. Because they have scant chance of finding a relationship if single, or find themselves far away from their wives and families if married, many turn to sex workers for intimacy. As one working girl says, "They're young, they're dumb, they've got lots of money, and there is no shame in going to a brothel."

Here, local newspapers are chockablock with classifieds ads for sex workers. Some charge as little as $40 an hour, often using the back seats of their cars (or stretch limos). Langtrees, one of the oldest and most expensive establishments, is more up-market. It is located a few minutes' drive from Crown Perth, a vast Las Vegas–style entertainment complex consisting of a 24-hour casino, plush international hotels, a nightclub, and numerous restaurants and bars.

With its discreet door hidden down a dark side street, Langtrees is a different sort of night-life institution. But men also come here willing to splash serious cash. Of the $400 hourly rate, half goes straight to the brothel, and half is put in an envelope for the client to give directly to the woman. "Extras" cost more. Grubby laminated menus scattered on low bar tables list the prices for kissing, anal, and oral sex (from $50 a pop).

On this steamy summer night, a plump man in glasses loiters shyly near the reception. Seeing his resolve waver, the madam quickly whisks him away to introduce to a woman. A group of intoxicated Irish men from the nearby casino sway near the pool table, slurping beer. Later, two men in their early 20s — both good-looking, one with a mane of trendy dreadlocks — are introduced to a gaggle of women. "What's your name, sorry?" Mr. Dreadlock asks politely. "Nice to meet you, I'm Christian."

Perth's famous Langtrees brothel.Source: AAP

Langtrees, which has branches across Australia, prides itself on its lounge atmosphere. Women in skimpy clothes and sky-high heels still do line-ups for clients to take their pick. They all have profiles online with vital statistics listed: age, bust size, hair colour, and height. (Some show their faces; some don't.) But more often, men come in with their mates, have a drink, play some pool, and chat with the women before heading upstairs. "It's the whole experience," Sue, the madam in charge, notes. "It's not just a 'wham bam thank you ma'am.' [The bar and lounge] gives the guys the opportunity to relax."

Relax, maybe. But when it comes down to business, things quickly become more regulated. Private rooms with names such as Double Delight and Golden Dreams are decked out with gaudy murals of sex acts and cheap sheets. Once the door is closed, the woman will ask the man to shower. Only after she has inspected him for genital warts, suspicious discharge, and rashes (if needed she will call downstairs for a second opinion) will the session start.

In Western Australia, the sex-work industry operates in a grey zone: Prostitution is not illegal, but activities associated with it, such as brothels and pimping, are. (In some other states, it is legal.) For years, however, authorities have turned a blind eye to places like Langtrees. And, like the miners, sex workers have flocked to Perth from homes elsewhere — sometimes travelling from as far afield as Europe or South America — for the high demand and wages. Known as "fly-in, fly-out" women, they spend intense stretches living, working, and eating in the brothel. Many rent a bunk bed and locker for a small fee in addition to paying the $50 per night to work the floor: Essentially they are renting the Langtrees brand.

The money makes it worth it. Working nine-hour shifts, women can expect to earn over $7,000 per week. The top women might double that. "There is no politics, no bitching. They are here to work, to do their job," Sue says. "They are looking for that golden ticket."

In Western Australia, the sex-work industry operates in a grey zone.Source: Getty Images

"Eliza Champagne," a brunette whose hair is tied back primly with a clip and whose girl-next-door looks are at odds with her too-tight leopard-print skirt, plops herself on the sofa with an instant coffee. Eliza, 25, divides her time between shifts at the hospital where she works as a nurse and escorting. (As an avid competitive horsewoman, she is also about to launch her own equestrian sportswear company.) While she comes from a middle-class family — her father is high up in government — she is fiercely independent. "I can't stand people giving me money," she insists.

Now she has no need to. When she was only 18, on her first ever escort job, Eliza made a cool $4,500. Bubbly, fun, and bright, she lives in Perth with her partner, who works in the mining industry, but keeps her sideline income hidden from him, as well as friends and family. "No one knows that I do it. The job is taboo as such — it's not something to be proud of to say you sleep with X amount of men a day. That annoys me because it is purely just a job." ("I just sneak off and my friends think I'm skiing," a fellow sex worker, a university student named Ruby chimes in).

Eliza recently told her male best friend what she did, and the first thing he asked was, " 'Where do you stand?' He thought I was a street walker!" she laughs, incredulous. "I only have sex around 50 per cent of my bookings. I'm more of a girlfriend experience. I'm not a porn star. I don't do screaming and anal. I have a fake name when I work but I offer the real me —[men] appreciate the realness because real women turn them on."

In the bunk room, Alina, the Russian, is taking a break. She adjusts her ponytail and pink body-con dress and takes a bite of her Big Mac. "The stigma that we are all alcoholics and drug addicts and we all have pimp boyfriends is not true," she says in a strong accent.

Alina used to work in retail, earning just $20 an hour at the Christian Dior store. But when her partner left her to bring up their small son alone, she struggled and was forced to go on the dole: "I felt like a beggar." Now things are different: She goes on holidays, buys luxury goods, and, when she's not away at Langtrees, spends quality family time at home in Sydney.

"I'll grab that handbag. I deserve it," she states, wiping sauce from her mouth. "I have got a Louis Vuitton bag and I have Louboutin shoes. My baby can have everything." This comes with sacrifices: Alina recalls once being pinned down by a man high on drugs, and just out of jail, who tried to force her to have sex without a condom. "It was rape," she says matter-of-factly. It hasn't put her off. "You go home with a grand in your hand and you have a good night. Why not?"

"The stigma that we are all alcoholics and drug addicts and we all have pimp boyfriends is not true."Source: News Limited

Not everyone agrees. "The worst things are the secrecy and the late nights. You'll be here until 9 in the morning sometimes," says Laticia, 27, one of the two dominatrixes. She adds: "Older guys are more respectful. Younger guys just think that they shouldn't have to pay. They think they should just get it for free. One guy [at a house call] said, 'Can we be quick because my wife is coming back from the shops?' Some men have no boundaries."

At times, when men have gotten too pushy, Laticia has felt abandoned by the law. She shrugs: "The police, as soon as they find out you're a working girl, they don't care. They figure that it's your fault for getting only that industry." None of the women claims to have experienced violence at Langtrees, and the brothel will hire only women who are legally allowed to work in the country.

But rape, sex trafficking, and physical safety, especially regarding sexually transmitted diseases, are all concerns in the industry. Fierce competition — and resulting loss of morale — can also take its toll. When Sasha, the transsexual, started to gain popularity, the other women became jealous. Some started to tell groups of their male clients that she wasn't a "real" woman. Management, afraid that Sasha might become subject to a hate crime, suggested that it might be better for her to leave.

Rape, sex trafficking, and physical safety are all concerns in the industry.Source: Getty Images

Sue adjusts the security cameras to check that everything is in order, draws on a cigarette, and slumps into her chair at the desk in her office. The middle-aged madam — she has four children — wears black-framed square glasses and a grey T-shirt. She is tough but kind. Sue calls the women "sweetheart" and listens to their problems. On this evening one has to leave early to bathe in Epsom salts; too much sex has left her smarting. Sue understands: In the past she also worked the floor at Langtrees. "My husband and I really wanted to get ahead," she says.

Sue sees sex, at $400 per hour, as an "art": She gives the women respect and in return expects them to perform. (Men can review them online on popular forums.) Yet problems persist. Toilets are decked with fluorescent blue lights to flush out drugs — the brothel has a zero-tolerance policy ("I saw ice and what it did to one girl — she went from beautiful to this horrible scrawny woman. So sad," she sighs). Sue insists the women have the last word: "I always say to the girls, the first time you say to the gentleman, 'Honey I don't like that. No.' The second time you sit up and say, 'I said no, if you do it again, end of booking.' Third time you put on a towel, walk out, and give them the envelope back. When a lady says 'no,' that's it. [The men] generally behave. Once guys are naked, they're vulnerable."

"Langtrees is good — we see a lot of success but we also see a lot of failure," she acknowledges. "I lost a really good friend to suicide. It all was too much for her. She hung herself in a Perth Park."

Then Sue stops. She adds: "Today a 36-year-old woman came in to ask about work. Even though she was 36, we still sent her away to think about it. We always send them away. It's very important. Because, you know, each time they are sleeping with someone, they are selling part of their soul."

Some names have been changed to protect identities.

This article originally appeared on Slate and was republished with permission.

Indians participate in a candlelit vigil protesting violence against women as they mark the second anniversary of the deadly gang rape of a student on a bus, in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014. The case sparked public outrage and helped make women's safety a common topic of conversation in a country where rape is often viewed as a woman's personal shame to bear. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)Source: AP

INDIAN police have arrested five men accused of repeatedly raping a 22-year-old Japanese tourist over three weeks near Bodh Gaya, Buddhism's holiest site, an official said Saturday.

The tourist had been held hostage at gunpoint in a secluded underground room close to the pilgrimage site, according to a preliminary investigation.

The woman had been staying in the eastern city of Kolkata when she was befriended by three local men who spoke Japanese.

The men then took her to the seaside resort of Digha in the state of West Bengal where they robbed her of $1200 before taking her to Bodh Gaya, where two more men joined them and raped her.

In this file photo from 2004, a Buddhist nun prepares flowers for offering at the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.Source: News Corp Australia

"When her health condition deteriorated due to repeated rape and poor living conditions, she was brought to Gaya [district headquarters] for medical treatment on December 20," a police officer who is part of the investigation told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But she managed to escape and reached Varanasi where she met some Japanese tourists who helped her contact the Japanese consulate in the nearby city of Kolkata, the officer added.

Hanging ropes are displayed as part of an installation seeking death penalty for rapists on the second anniversary of the deadly gang rape of a student on a bus, in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)Source: AP

"We have arrested the duo for confining and raping the Japanese student," Singh told AFP by telephone from Bodh Gaya.

The news follows three earlier arrests. "We have arrested three people from Kolkata and two from Gaya in Bihar in connection with the incident," Pallav Kanti Ghosh, a senior police official in Kolkata, told Reuters.

The Bodh Gaya complex, 110 kilometres south of Bihar state capital Patna, is home to one of the earliest Buddhist temples still standing in India and attracts visitors from all over the world.

Indian girls take a pledge to act towards stopping atrocity on women on the second anniversary of the deadly gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)Source: AP

India has faced intense scrutiny over its efforts to curb violence against women following the fatal gang rape of a medical student in New Delhi in 2012 which sparked global outcry.

Since then, several attacks on foreign women have also been reported, leading to a dip in tourist numbers to the country.

Last January, a 51-year-old Danish tourist was robbed and gang raped at knifepoint in Delhi.

In 2013, a Swiss cyclist holidaying in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was robbed and gang raped by five men, all of whom were later sentenced to life terms.

PASSENGERS were reportedly ordered off a faulty AirAsia plane minutes before take off after the engine exploded.

In another blow to the troubled airline, passengers told Indonesia's Metro TV that the aeroplane was taxiing at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Saturday a loud bang was heard.

The aircraft was forced to return to its gate where the 120 passengers disembarked and waited for the engine to be fixed.

"The plane was ready and moved, but suddenly a loud sound was heard, the sound of the engine disappeared and the plane moved backwards. We were shocked and panicked," passenger Yusuf Fitriadi said, according to The Independent.

Mr Yusuf said most of the passengers refused to reboard the plane, with the airline refunding their fares, reported The Sunday Times.

WEATHER was the "triggering factor" in the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 with icing likely causing engine damage, as rough seas Sunday hampered the search for bodies and the sunken wreckage.

The Airbus A320-200 crashed into the Java Sea a week ago carrying 162 people from Indonesia's second city Surabaya to Singapore, and relief workers are hunting for the "black box" flight data recorders to determine the cause of the crash.

Five major parts of the Airbus A320-200 have now been found off the island of Borneo, but rough weather throughout the week has hampered the search, a huge operation assisted by several countries including the United States and Russia. "The black box should not be far from the five significant objects we found," search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo told a media briefing at the agency's headquarters in Jakarta late on Sunday.

RELATED: Massive objects thought to be lost jet's fuselage

Grim task ... search and rescue team members carry a bag containing a crash victim's body from a US navy helicopter in Pangkalan Bun. Picture: AFP/Adek BerrySource: AFP

As search efforts entered their eighth day, AirAsia released a statement saying more than 80 deep sea divers have been deployed in order to get a visual confirmation on two large objects – suspected to be part of the aircraft's fuselage – captured by the sonar device yesterday as well as the aircraft's blackbox.

Bodies recovered

During a momentary respite from bad weather, a team of divers went down to the biggest part of the wreckage Sunday morning and recovered one body, while another three were found floating in the sea, bringing the total number of bodies recovered to 34.

The divers "managed to go down but the visibility at the sea bottom was zero, it was dark and the seabed was muddy, with currents of three to five knots," Mr Soelistyo told reporters, adding that heavy rain and big waves were continuing to impede the rescue effort.

"For that reason, the diving efforts must be temporarily stopped. We'll try to deploy an ROV (remotely-operated underwater vehicle)," he said.

Fifth piece of wreck found

He said the fifth major part of the plane, located early Sunday, was about 10 metres by one metre.

An initial report on the website of Indonesia's meteorological agency BMKG suggested the weather at the time the plane went down sparked the disaster after it appeared to fly into storm clouds.

"Based on the available data received on the location of the aircraft's last contact, the weather was the triggering factor behind the accident," said the report, which referred to infra-red satellite pictures showing peak cloud temperatures of minus 80 to minus 85 degrees Celsius at the time.

"The most probable weather phenomenon was icing which can cause engine damage due to a cooling process. This is just one of the possibilities that occurred based on the analysis of existing meteorological data," the report said.

In pieces ... a massive recovery operation is underway in waters off Borneo to recover bodies and debris from the missing AirAsia plane. Picture: Oscar Siagian/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Investigations continue

It remained unclear why other planes on similar routes were unaffected by the weather, and other analysts said there was not yet enough information to explain the disaster.

"It's irrelevant to make an assumption on the cause of the crash as we haven't found the black boxes yet," former air force commander Chappy Hakim told AFP.

The search, focused on a patch of sea southwest of Pangkalan Bun, a town on Borneo, has also been extended east because parts of the plane may have been swept by currents, Mr Soelistyo said. It now encompasses a total area of 20,700 nautical miles.

Progress ... recovery teams have found five large pieces of the AirAsia Flight 8501 but divers have been hampered by strong weather. Source: AFPSource: AFP

The relief operation has prioritised finding the bodies of those on board the ill-fated flight, of whom 155 were Indonesian, with three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one Briton and a Frenchman — copilot Remi Plesel.

Indonesian warship commander Yayan Sofyan told MetroTV on Sunday that three of the bodies so far recovered had been found still strapped into their row of seats, detached from the main plane body.

The families of victims have been preparing funerals as the bodies recovered are identified in Surabaya, where a crisis centre has been set up at a police hospital with facilities to store 150 bodies.

Grieving relatives

Hendra Gunawan Syawal, 23, had been on his way for a New Year's Eve break in Singapore with friends when the plane crashed. His relatives were readying for his last Buddhist rites.

"Even after days, we still kept thinking he's alive, but now that we have seen his body, we know he's gone for sure," said his sister Yunita.

"There is a void left in my heart, but I hope in time I will heal."

Flight violations

Indonesia has pledged to investigate flight violations by AirAsia, saying the aircraft had been flying on an unauthorised schedule when it crashed. The airline has now been suspended from flying the Surabaya-Singapore route.

But the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said it had granted permission for the airline's Sunday flight.

It was unclear how the airline, a unit of Malaysia-based AirAsia, had been able to fly without the necessary authorisation from its starting point.

'Don't blame my father'

The daughter of Captain Iriyanto, pilot of the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501, has made a televised plea not to blame her father, the Straits Times reports.

"He is just a victim and has not been found yet. My family is now mourning," said Angela Anggi Ranastianis.

"As a daughter, I cannot accept it. No pilot will harm his passengers," she told TV One.

Recovered ... Indonesian search and rescue team carry items for investigation, found during the search operation for the missing AirAsia flight 8501, in Pangkalan Bun. Picture: AFP/Adek BerrySource: AFP

The company has declined to comment until the probe is complete, but said it would "fully cooperate" with the government.

Before takeoff, the pilot of Flight 8501 had asked for permission to fly at a higher altitude to avoid the storm, but the request was not approved due to other planes above him on the popular route, according to AirNav, Indonesia's air traffic control.

In his last communication, Captain Iriyanto, an experienced former air force pilot, said he wanted to change course to avoid the menacing storm system. Then all contact was lost, about 40 minutes after the plane had taken off.